Gregory Crewdson Case Study

Subjective Frame:

1. What is felt about the artwork/subject?

The image that is shown creates an uneasy feeling due to its uniqueness. The dark background which creates an ominous feeling is replaced with a sense of hope from what seems to be like a bright and tall beacon which is located in the centre of the image. This image reminds me of Jack and the beanstalk as there is someone climbing the beanstalk to get to the sky. This gives me an uneasy feeling because it is during nighttime compared to the day time which gives the photo a sense of mystery.

2. How does the artist connect emotionally with the subject and with the audience?

By contrasting the unusual with the ordinary setting and life, Crewdson was able to connect the feelings of his audiences and himself. We are able to see the window which looks out to the beanstalk and the person which makes me feel like it is a first-person perspective photo. This allows the audience to put themselves in the artist’s shoes and experience the same feelings. The feeling of uneasiness of the person falling off while climbing the beanstalk is created when the beanstalk is looked out. This is another emotional interaction between the audience and the artist. 

3. What personal experience may have influenced the artist?

Just from assumptions, I believe this landscape must be very familiar to the photographer as it is very detailed. The artist may have heard the story of Jack and the beanstalk at a young age a lot of times at a young age which may have been a contributing factor as to why Crewdson could create such an amazing photo. The mundane life is juxtaposed with a much more exciting world in this image, which leads me to believe that Crewdson’s childhood was much more exciting than his life right now. 

4. What imaginative qualities are evident to the audience?

This image forces the audience to think outside the box and imagine what is beyond the frames. The lack of knowledge as to where the beanstalk leads to evokes a sense of curiosity in the audience. The audience must also imagine their own story from the photo as all people depict a narrative that is told from a picture differently. They may have troubles decoding the picture’s message meaning that audiences are required to have a lot of imaginative qualities. They may even look at the picture in an entirely different way to the photographer’s actual intentions. They are forced to end the unresolved story that the picture tells by using their own imagination.

5. What is the connection between the artwork and the audience made by the artist?

The first connection which is made between the audience and the artwork is during the first confrontation. When the audience begins to understand the mood of the picture and its underlying sense of mystery, they will be able to connect with the artwork very differently. Similar to what was mentioned in the first question, the audience can connect to the artwork by putting themselves into it to understand it from a narrator’s perspective. The artist intentionally did this to allow a personal connection between the artwork and the audience to develop.

6. Without prior knowledge of the artist, what is she or he trying to say about the subject?

I believe the artist is trying to tell us that our imaginations can exceed everything. The beanstalk growing to heights we cannot see is a symbol for our imaginations going beyond. I believe the artist is telling us to create a scene within every frozen moment we see.

7. What is unique or idiosyncratic about the artwork?

This artwork is unique as it seems very surreal. As I look at this image, all I can think about is the scene looking like a dream. A usual suburban neighbourhood is juxtaposed with a magical beanstalk leading up to the sky. I find this very weird and interesting because it is very hard to make something that is very mundane and original into something that is magical and mysterious like. 

8. What expressive qualities are evident in the artwork?

The only expressive quality evident in the artwork that I could’ve found was the amount of artificial lighting in the artwork. The light coming from the beanstalk seemed more natural than the lights in the houses and I believe this is a very essential quality in the artwork.

Structural Frame:

1. What are the dominant elements of art used in this artwork? Why?

The dominant elements of art used in this artwork are the pregnant woman and the people surrounding her. Her being in the middle of the artwork draws the attention to her, making her a very dominant figure in this artwork. The strong light shining on her also emphasises this element in the artwork, making her seem very formidable in a way. Every person besides her is either kneeling or lying down. In contrast to everyone else, her standing up also makes her seem like a very important person. The darkness of the trees shadowing over the children and the bright light shining over the woman creates harmony and balance in the photograph. The lines of the garden hose also lead to the lady which further highlights her position in the image.

2. Are there specific signs and symbols used? Do they have personal or general significance to the artwork?

Yes, there are specific signs used in the photo. The small toys found in the backyard with a kid swimming pool creates a childish scene. These small items encapsulate the entire scene very well as it holds a personal significance and a child-parent relationship. The mise-en-scene of this image gives me a general idea of what this picture is aiming to achieve. The background adds general significance to the artwork as it shows that they live in a normal neighbourhood and there is nothing special at that moment. The plastic tricycle and the castle both personally represent the child in the woman’s pregnant belly.

Cultural Frame:

1. What cultural influences appear in the artwork?

I believe Western cultures heavily impact the artwork. The suburban life and neighbourhood heavily reflected in this image. These areas are more common in suburban middle-classed locations in America. The mysterious beam of light appearing in the sky is also a reference to Western cultures and their contact with extraterrestrial beings. In many Western movies and films, the theme of mystery and horror can be seen quite often which leads me to believe that the Western culture has heavily influenced this artwork.

2. Does the artwork deal with racial/political/religious/cultural issues?

I believe the artwork may deal with some racial issues. The colour differences between the black and white from the darkness of the night and the light of the moon may suggest something about races having to be equal. I don’t believe the artwork deals with any political issues, however, it may tackle religious issues. The light coming from the sky may represent a holy light which may be a reference to Christianity which is America’s state religion. Cultural issues such as the lack of egalitarianism in America is also dealt with in this image. The twilight and night sky almost seems like it’s covering up America’s contemporary middle-classed state, suggesting that everything is not as it seems.

3. What values and beliefs are reflected in the artwork?

I believe Crewdson is challenging America and their fake belief of egalitarianism in their country. People are subconsciously being divided into classes due to their appearances and from what I can see from this image, Crewdson’s belief is that everyone should be equal and not hide their identities behind darkness which shows his use of twilight in this image. The way he portrays middle-classed America in his photograph seems very negative as it looks very awkward and insecure in a way. He critiques the conditions of a middle-classed life in America in this artwork.